I love stalking underwater critters with my Canon G9 with stock housing no strobes just the built-in flash. I enjoy it most when I am able to communicate with them such that they will pose for me.

Here is my conversation with a cuttlefish in one dive at Babusanta in Talikud Island of the Island Garden City of Samal.

Knowing that not all underwater critters are friendly, I take photos the moment I get a good sight, whether of not I’m already near enough. In this way, if the critter doesn’t want to interact and thus skitter away, I already have a photo. I was slowly finning, keeping a keen eye out for tiny critters when this one stopped me on my errrr…. flips.

It seemed it wasn’t skittish, and so I slowly finned toward its front, while shooting…

And slowly still…

Had it swam off by this time, I’d have been contented with what I got…

But it still refused to leave, and so I got this. I was already contented with what I got and left to return to my tiny critter hunt… training my eyes on the sand, keeping an eye out on whatever that moves…

I turned around to find cuttlefish following me, now showing a different color. A show-off! And it was even closer than when I was the one who approached it… Hmmm…

So, tell me how you can resist such friendliness…

I was talking to it mentally, and it looked like it was responding…

As it allowed me to take a photo of not only its side…

But a full frontal as well. Wow.

Thank you cuttlefishy. It was nice meeting you.